McLauchlan, associate professor of political science, wrote Chapter 18, “Learning Citizenship by Doing: Integrating Political Campaign Internships into the Political Science Curriculum.”

She analyzed data from American National Government and Practical Politics courses she taught during the past eight years to determine whether and how incorporating internships into the political science curriculum could increase students’ civic and political engagement. The conclusion: The political campaign internship component had a dramatic impact on the students’ understanding of and appreciation for the subject matter as well as on the students’ interest in participating in government and their willingness to take an active role as citizens.

The Bishop Center for Ethical Leadership and Civic Engagement promotes the study and practice of good leadership through interdisciplinary research, teaching and experiential learning across the USF St. Petersburg curriculum. The Bishop Center is also the home of USFSP’s Civic Engagement Program and the Citizen Scholar Program.

USFSP students have performed more than 800,000 hours of community service learning over the past seven years through the Citizen Scholar Program, encompassing over 250 different courses which are included in the Citizen Scholar Course Catalog. About 60 such courses are offered each semester. USFSP has been designated by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a “community engaged” university, one of only 311 universities so named, for its institutional commitment to and practice of civic engagement.

“Dr. McLauchlan’s work epitomizes the value that USF St. Petersburg places on civic engagement across the curriculum,” said Norine Noonan, Ph.D., Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. “Students learn and the entire community benefits from this approach.”

Melanie Bevan, a 26-year veteran of the department, was sworn in as assistant chief last week, overseeing the Administrative Services Bureau and the Executive Operations Division. She recently served as the city’s point person in planning for the Republican National Convention.

Bevan has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, a master’s in public administration and a doctorate in education. She teaches a practicum course through the Bishop Center for Ethical Leadership and Civic Engagement at USFSP on community leadership, an issue she says is vitally important for young people and in her police work.

“Community involvement is key to any successful leaders,” she says. That’s especially true in the Police Department, she said.

“Relationships with the community are everything in our job. Understanding the balance between leadership and community is key,” she added.

Some of the most important parts of the course happen outside the classroom. Bevan takes students into the community to learn about the city from the grassroots, including some of the important leaders at City Hall. Each student also is required to do 30 hours of volunteer time.

“She’s an exceptional person,” said Bill Heller, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Education director of the Bishop Center. “They promoted the right person. She’s also an excellent faculty member and the students have always given her great evaluations.”

Bevin does more than teach community involvement. She lives it.

She has been involved in myriad community projects, including Doorways Mentoring, Leadership St. Pete, Focus St. Pete, the Campbell Park Recreation Center and the Special Olympics Torch Run.

Her teaching at USFSP is an extension of that commitment to the community, she said. “I just love having an impact on young people’s lives.”

ST. PETERSBURG, FL (April 9, 2010) — The director of the largest student-run environmental center in the country will speak about the importance of sustainability in higher education during a symposium April 16 at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.

Dave Newport of the University of Colorado at Boulder Environmental Center will be the main speaker during “The Sustainability Imperative: Catalyzing Higher Education.’’ The program also will include a presentation on the city of St. Petersburg’s sustainability efforts by St. Petersburg City Council member Karl Nurse and city public works director Mike Connors.

The goal of the symposium is to demonstrate how focusing on sustainability can prepare students to be creative, critical thinkers, promote innovative faculty research and engage the community to solve problems, said David O’Neill, USFSP program coordinator for the Bishop Center for Ethical Leadership & Civic Engagement.

Newport oversees a wide-ranging environmental center at Colorado University, which Sierra Magazine in 2009 called the “greenest” school in the nation.

The symposium will be April 16 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Harbor Hall (the former Dali Museum) 1000 3rd St. S, St. Petersburg. Call (727) 873-4773 for more information.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (April 5, 2011) – A one-day conference at USF St. Petersburg will bring together national and local homelessness experts with community members to determine solutions for ending homelessness in St. Petersburg and surrounding communities. The conference is sponsored by Celebrate Outreach!, a partnership among local faith-based organizations concerned with homelessness.

All are welcome, but please register by April 8 to reserve a complimentary lunch. Limited metered street parking is available near the Student Life Center or guests can park in the university parking garage, 250 5th Ave S, for a small fee.

The conference is free and open to the public. There will be speakers, panel discussions and breakout groups. Participants will reconvene at the end of the conference to share solutions and create an action plan to end homelessness.

“This conference seeks to change the discussion from controlling homelessness to ending homelessness,” said Jill McCracken, assistant professor of English and co-director of USFSP’s Civic Engagement Center.

The conference’s keynote speaker, Maria Foscarinis, directs the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. Foscarinis is a litigation and legislative advocate dedicated to protecting and extending rights of homeless people, including ensuring education rights of homeless children, housing rights of domestic violence victims and constitutional rights of people living in public places due to lack of alternatives.